Bass was convicted of two of the assault weapons murders-the killings of Armenty Shelton and his brother Patrick. In a third codifying accusation, the defendant was charged and convicted of conspiracy to retain with deliberate intent and distribute over five kilos of cocaine and more than 50 grams of illicit drugs based in contraventions of 21 U.S.C. 846. Bass was also charged for assassinating Patrick Webb while using and possessing a firearm throughout and regarding a drug trade offense at an infraction of 18 U.S.C. 924(j). In addition, the respondent was also accused of murdering Patrick Webb while using and brandishing a weapon all through and in connection to drug distribution. This research paper will argue and explain why the Supreme Court ruled incorrectly in the United States versus Bass case.
Racial discrimination was marked during the ruling of Bass in the United States court. Comparing the percentage of white and black prisoners in the general federal state, the whites are 57% while blacks are 38% and for those charged to undergo death sentence, the percentage of blacks is 48% and that of the whites 20%. This means that the case of Bass was founded on the ruling of the other cases, which shows that blacks who break the law should be murdered. Whites are rarely passed death sentences even when their crimes deserve assassination, but Bass has been sentenced to death since he is black due to discrimination. The number of blacks who are passed the death sentence is high compared to those in prison, denoting that cases of blacks are not beheld at depth to find the origin but are just conceded verdicts.
In this incident, Bass’s case is not taken earnestly since, even before he reached the Supreme Court, he had undergone many defies, including being deprived of access to appeal his case because he is black. Transiting the death condemnation to Bass, considering the many cases of white who had been blamed of parallel evils and are taken to prison rather than being killed, is injustice. This prejudice emanates because some white lawbreakers have committed comparable crimes, but their sentence is life imprisonment, not manslaughter. Given Bass’s case, the level of a crime he committed is far less than some offenses that the whites halt. For instance, whites bomb a large group of innocent people, and the victims end up going freely without being impeached. By Bass committing two homicide cases, it is unrivaled to offenses of the whites, denoting he does not merit death condemnation.
Secondly, the court ruling was incorrect since it did not consider why Bass was carrying out the activities of trafficking drugs and accessing firearms. The defendant has never been employed, and, in arrears to the absence of a job opportunity, he decided to carry out drug trafficking to make a living. Unemployment brands someone to look for an alternative, even if it is an illegal job, to meet their basic needs. It is vibrant that a large number of drug traffickers are drug addicts. Bass had abused marijuana, P.C.P., cocaine, and heroin throughout his life (Doctor & Sieveking, 2017). Narcotic drugs hint at hallucinations, making one perform actions that can result in severe consequences later in life.
Being under the influence of drugs, Bass could continue with the business without any distress. Commanding a death sentence on him would not be the solution since it is even contrary to God’s commandments that say no one is permissible to take the other individual’s life. An alternative solution should be beheld that would help rehabilitate Bass and let him rise to his intellect since he has been under the power of drugs all through the case.
Patrick Webb, a brother to Baas in the 1980s, worked as a business partner and distributed cocaine. By 1990, Bass and Webb had established two distinct, but sometimes collaborative, narcotic companies. Bass based his business in Detroit before widening to Muncie, Indiana, then to Columbus and Canton, Ohio. He purchased large quantities of cocaine tablets, converted them into crack, and sold them to other drug companies, making many profits.
Hostilities among Bass and Webb came due to their stimulant dealings, and they regularly went to war. One happenstance amongst them heightened to the extent of endangered ferocity when they together represented firearms. Bass started planning the murder of his brother after he realized that his life was endangered. Webb was the one who had premeditated to devastate his brother’s life since Bass’s business had widened up, increasing profits and, in the process of Bass guarding his life, he crumbled Webb’s life first. He later murdered Armenty Shelton, who assisted him in assassinating his brother. The murder of Shelton was not deliberated, but Bass wanted the secret of the murder of his brother not to be publicized. It is unblemished that Bass did not assassinate his brother enthusiastically, but he was trying to defend his life; hence the court judgment is inappropriate since it is not indulgent.
Passing the death sentence to Bass in arrears to having access to firearms was also indecorous. Bass discerned that his work was illegal, and since he required meeting his daily necessities, he had to secure guns for security purposes. Many people are alongside drug traffickers, hence making the life of them to be endangered. Robbers are in pursuit of drug traffickers, viewing for ways to attack them and rob them of their money or even murder them since they consider that drug peddlers are wealthy. Bass acquiring firearms was not for impairing people but for defending his life. In the case when his brother was organizing for his elimination, maybe his life would have been in danger, but the access to a gun assisted in protecting his life.
In conclusion, it can be affirmed that the United States court administrated erroneously on the Bass case. Racial discernment is one of the factors that led to Bass being alleged to have a death sentence. Bass was black, and their cases were not taken earnestly compared to the white cases. Being under the influence of drugs also made Bass decide to continue trafficking drugs. Unemployment also led to him looking for an alternative way to meet his daily needs. The murder of his brother Webb and Shelton, who assisted in the murder, was not deliberate. Bass murdered Webb to defend his life since the brother was also planning to eliminate him. To retain the secret and prevent the revelation of the people knowing that he was the one who murdered his brother, Bass had to assassinate Shelton. It is suggested that the death sentence should be distant from the constitution of all countries since it is not one of the unsurpassed methods to punish lawbreakers. Countries should replace the death sentence with, for example, life imprisonment other than pledging murder.
Reference
Doctor, R. M., and Sieveking, N. A. (2017). Comparing attitudes among heroin addicts, police officers, marijuana users, and nondrug users about the drug addict. International Journal of the Addictions, 8(4), 691-699. Web.